Phantom
by Teagie227
Summary: Just as he was about to take is first step off the bridge, some one spoke to him in the darkness. She very well could have saved his life that night. And as quickly as she was there, she disappeared. One-shot, not really a romance. Just a scene break idea I had earlier. R&R if you wish!


Upon realizing he couldn't let this personal contradiction go on, Inspector Javert put his toes at the edge. He looked doen into the water, black, writhing and unsettled. As if a million demons were waiting silently to pull him into judgement. Taking a deep breath, and looking up at the heavens. There were clouds moving in like a blanket over the sky, slowly the stars began to disappear. He closed his eyes and moved his foot a little. The next half-second felt like an eternity. He hear everything, the water rushing, twisting around itself, the bridge, warping his depth perception. Suddenly, the bridge stood, erected, thousands of miles above ground. Just before almost stepping over the edge, a voice called from the darkness,

"Inspector Javert?"

He jolted a little, and suddenly he was back in France, back in reality. The cold and the darkness increased tenfold by his perception. Looking down from his perch he saw a young woman, sort of ruffianish-looking, and not particularly outstanding in anyway. But then again, he could hardly see her in the darkness. She looked down the moment he turned towards her, almost in fear, it seemed.

After a moment of just standing there looking at the ground, she looked back up at him, then peered over at the river. "Were you going to jump?" her brow seemed to furrow in the failing light, clouds reaching up to cover the moon, strangling any light that tried to cast itself down on these two souls in the dead of night.

"Do I know you?" He stayed in his position, towering over the girl. Granted, he would have anyway even if he wasn't standing three feet above her, but now he was even more physically imposing. He thought, perhaps, she must have been some miscreant who had seen him or heard of him, she didn't seem familiar in the least to him. And why should she?

"Um, no. But... I know you. You probably don't remember me. If it helps at all, years ago, I was... assulted in an alley by one of your men, but you stopped it. Most of the officers in this city wouldn't have, you know." Her expression sincere, she sat next to his standing legs on the guarding of the bridge, facing the road that crossed it.

He could recall at least three times something like this had happened, everyone thought police officers meant to do good. Often this was not the case.

"I was just doing my job." He said, his voice barely a whisper. He found himself wishing the girl would go away so he could finish his business here. At first, the thought of dying made him a little nervous, a feeling he hadn't known for years. But now, after going through all the trouble to think over his life and get his thoughts and beliefs in order, he just found himself not caring. After all the kindnedd he'd seen Jean Valjean exemplify, after all the business at the barricades, he couldn' help but think maybe he'd taken his job a little too far. And now, The Law, Les Amis, Jean Valjean, he didn't care who won or what happened to them, he just wanted it all to be _over._

"Still, you tried to help me when no one else would. So... thanks." She shifted uncomfortably. "Were you going to jump?"

He just stood there and didn't move save for a small nod. The girl smiled, yet something about this smile wasn't humorous, she wans't mocking him, she even looked about to cry or scream but all she did was whisper,

"Me too." She swung her legs over to the other side of the bridge, facing out towards the water. If she wanted to, she could slid off of it, it would be over in seconds, and he was expecting her to, after a statement as blunt as that. But she just sat there, looking at the water, looking sad, and he brought himself to sit, too, a little bit away from her.

They sat there, together, sometimes in silence, other times sharing generalized stories about why they were here, but nothing too in depth, neither ever would get personal with a perfect stranger, especially not like this. Each onesaid they were there to jump, but neither made the move, by some psychological impulsive, neither wanted to make the first move. He kept on looking over at her, he couldn't help it, he just kept wondering how old she was, and how and why someone her age had ended up in this situation.

"Why are you looking at me?"

He said nothing in return, so she spoke again,

"Can I tell you something?"

"At this point, I doubt it really matters."

"I am afraid."

"Don't be."

"Why shouldn't I be?"

For this he had no answer. He couldn't tell her she was going to heaven, this may not prove to be true, he didn't know her.

"We should jump together." She said out of the blue, reaching for his hand. He nodded and took it, helping her stand, and standing once again himself. At least now he didn't have to die by himself. He thought maybe he wouldn't want a companion, but it felt more comfortable knowing this girl was going down with him, which was a terrible thing to think but he couldn't really feel guilt about it. If he was going to die in lierally seconds, then Goddammit, he would think whatever he wanted. She closed her eyes, and her hand tightened around his. Both their bodies tensed, ready, and her foot moved, and then she very quickly dropped his hand and sighed with great force.

Turning to him she said, "I can't do it."

"Of course you can. You were going to."

"No, but I _can't_. I thought I could but I can't." She examined his face and said, "I'm going home."

He nodded. She reached up, timidly, and straightened the neck on his uniform. "You chose a good uniform to die in, Inspector. I will never see you again, so, since you're here, if you deserve to hear any words from me before you jump off this bridge," She leaned up onto her toes, coming close to his face and her lips brushed his cheeck before whispering into his ear, "Thank you."

And then, as quickly as she came, spoke, and almost died beside him, she was gone. Like a phantom in the night.

He stayed there for what seemed like hours, he still wanted to jump, but something held him back. He hadn't the energy to think on it. Now it was just one choice, die or do not die. And finally, after much speculation, he leapt down onto the road and went home, barely picking up his legs to walk, thinking on how he was such coward.

**O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O**

**Just a little idea that came to me. May or may not continue this, will probably see more relationship growth if I do, but idk if I want it to be romantic or paternal. But you know, lemme know what you think if you please!**


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